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A new element is included in the study of velocity sections of the upper mantle of regions of continents, oceans, and transition zones with different endogenous regimes (according to the advection-polymorphic hypothesis — APH). This is the flanking plateaus (FP) of the mid-ocean ridges (MOR). It is assumed that these regions underwent the process of oceanization in the Mesozoic along with other parts of the oceans. In the Neogene MORs were formed. Significant parts of the basins were engulfed in modern activation, including magmatism. Between these parts of the oceans, relatively narrow strips (200—300 km wide) have survived, which some authors refer to as flanking plateaus. They are located at the edges of the MOR. FP did not experience young activization. This is indicated by the features of the bottom topography, magnetic, gravitational and thermal fields, and a velocity section of the upper horizons of the mantle. An element of checking the nature of the FP can be the construction of a velocity section of the mantle beneath these regions. According to the APH, it should differ from the neighboring ones by the increased velocity of seismic waves in the upper about 200 km. The experimental data for such work turned out to be extremely small. It was possible to build only one travel-time, using data on the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Insignificant information was also attracted on the southern part of the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Indian Ridge. The travel-time corresponds to the velocity section, which completely coincides with the forecast. The latter was calculated according to the heat and mass transfer scheme in the APH version and the thermal model of the mantle. The velocity section of the FP mantle does not contain indications of a partial melting layer. Consequently, there should be no manifestations of young magmatism in FP. Verification showed that in most of the studied fragments of MOR this is true.

Comodulation masking release (CMR) is an effect that is associated with auditory sensitivity to coherent amplitude modulations in different frequency regions. The present study investigated if this comodulation is detected by a direct comparison of auditory filter outputs, or if common masker fluctuations are first extracted by a broadly tuned stage that integrates information across a large spectral range. To this end, a modified flanking-band experiment with a narrowband noise masker at the signal frequency (on-frequency masker), and two flanking bands (FBs), one centered below and one above the signal frequency, were used. The center frequencies (CFs) of FBs changed whenever the masker had a local envelope minimum. The center frequencies were randomly chosen from a range of frequencies around the average CF of each FB. A CMR was measured even for large CF variations of FBs, where the envelopes at the off-frequency auditory filters were no longer the same as the masker envelope at the on-frequency auditory filter. This supports the hypothesis of a broadly tuned stage to determine masker comodulation. For two experimental settings, CMR deteriorated for very large variations of CFs of FBs, suggesting a spectral weighting of the off-frequency auditory filters in this broadly tuned stage.

Conical end-mills are widely used in CNC machining and the flank has a great influence on the performance of the end-mill. However, the complex structures of conical flank make it difficult to grind. The traditional method for conical flank grinding is to control the grinding wheel with a 3-axis archimedes helix motion, which cannot guarantee the accuracy of the desired flank parameters, i.e., relief angle and flank angle. To solve this problem, this paper proposed a wheel path generation method for 4-axis CNC conical flank grinding. In this model, the grinding processes were discretized into a finite of cylindrical end-mill grinding. For each cylindrical end-mill, the machined flank parameters could be calculated within the cross-section through the envelope theory. Additionally, the geometrical constraints to avoid interference and abnormal flank profile were developed based on the cylindrical end-mill. The wheel path was obtained by calculating the wheel’s position and orientation for the discretized cylindrical end-mill section by section. Also, an integral procedure was built to optimize and simulate the conical flank grinding. The simulation results showed that the proposed method had a wide range of applications that could provide a general solution for the conical CNC flanking operations and also could be extended to grind the complex surface of end-mills in the future study.

Nearby flanking bars degrade letter identification and resolution, a phenomenon known as contour interaction. However, many previous studies found that the relationship between foveal letter identification and flanker separation is non-monotonic, with an upturn in performance at very small target-to-flanker separations. Here, we replicate this observation and show that a similar upturn occurs also for targets presented at 5 deg in the inferior field, if the target-to-flanker separation is sufficiently small. The presence and magnitude of the observed performance upturn depends on the flanking-bar width, being more evident for narrower compared to wider flanking bars. We interpret our results to indicate that neural interactions between nearby contours reduce performance when the target and flanking bars form discrete neural images. At sufficiently small separations, the images of the target and flanking bars can not be distinguished and performance is governed by the contrast of the target in the blended neural image.

SIGNIFICANCE Contour interaction describes an impairment of visual acuity produced by nearby flanking features, which exerts a significant impact in many clinical tests of visual acuity. Our results indicate that the magnitude of interaction depends either on the flanker contrast energy (i.e., the product of flanker contrast and width) or the flanker contrast alone, depending on the contrast energy of the flankers. PURPOSE The discrimination of acuity targets is impaired by the presence of nearby flanking contours, a phenomenon known as contour interaction. METHODS In this study, we measured percent correct identification for threshold size, high-contrast Sloan letters at the fovea and at 5° in the inferior visual field for different combinations of flanking-bar width, and Weber contrast corresponding to specific fixed values of contrast energy (width × contrast, in %-min arc). RESULTS For flanking bars with low-contrast energy, contour interaction exhibited no systematic dependence on the flanking-bar width. However, when the flanking bars had higher contrast energy, narrower high-contrast bars produced significantly greater contour interaction than wider bars of lower contrast. CONCLUSIONS The results are consistent with the interpretation that contour interaction depends primarily on the contrast energy of flanking contours when their contrast energy is low. As the contrast energy of the flanking contours increases, the magnitude of contour interaction depends on the flanker contrast. For high-contrast flanking contours, the magnitude of contour interaction saturates when the width of the flanking contours is approximately 20% of letter size.

Calculating repeating Thermal Bridges (TBs) in Timber Frame (TF) closed panels for exterior walls represents an opportunity to close the Performance Gap (PG) occuring in the Off-Site Manufacture (OSM) of Modern Method of Constructions (MMC). Despite the high precision reached by the OSM, neglecting repeating TBs from metal fasteners could add further uncertainty to the thermal transmittance of the construction, leading inexorably to real and predicted U-value differences. The paper discusses the TB calculation process for three dimensional (3D) Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models to assess the impact of fixings χ-values on the U-value of exterior wall TF MMC system. Five widely used fastener types have been analysed in 96-panel typologies differing for insulation materials, core and/or flanking insulation thickness, and reflective membranes. Results show that χ-values are reduced when the U-value decreases but, after accounting for the relative fastening density, the final U-value correction (resultant of all the fasteners) has a higher percentage detrimental impact on low U-value MMC systems such as those designed to meet near-to-zero and zero operational energy, ranging from 7 to 22%. Greater attention to repeating TBs should be paid with high performing constructions because high detrimental factors could be introduced by the metal connections.

Abrupt changes in wind direction and speed caused by thunderstorm-generated gust fronts can, within a few seconds, transform slow-spreading low-intensity flanking fires into high-intensity head fires. Flame heights and spread rates can more than double. Fire mitigation strategies are challenged and the safety of fire crews is put at risk. We propose a class of numerical weather prediction models that incorporate real-time radar data and which can provide fire response units with images of accurate very short-range forecasts of gust front locations and intensities. Real-time weather radar data are coupled with a wind model that simulates density currents over complex terrain. Then two convective systems from formation and merger to gust front arrival at the location of a wildfire at Yarnell, Arizona, in 2013 are simulated. We present images of maps showing the progress of the gust fronts toward the fire. Such images can be transmitted to fire crews to assist decision-making. We conclude, therefore, that very short-range gust front prediction models that incorporate real-time radar data show promise as a means of predicting the critical weather information on gust front propagation for fire operations, and that such tools warrant further study.

The Road department of Instituto Superior Politécnico JoséAntonio Echeverría and Universidad Central Marta Abreu de las Villas supported this investigation., Slope-stability analysis is one of the parameters in the de- sign of road embankments that the designer must consider in order to ensure stable and safe construction. The technical standards recommend slopes to heights of 12 m, depending on the soil types and the topography. In the present work, the limit equilibrium methods (Fellenius, Bishop, Janbu, Morgensten-Price) and the finite element method are used to determine the safety factor of road embankments for differ- ent slopes flanking the road. Five embankment heights were simulated: 6 m, 12 m, 18 m, 24 m, and 30 m. The dataset compiled can be used for modeling embankments.

Climate change and the accumulation of surface fuel are leading to global changes in the occurrence of increasingly severe fires. In light of current budgetary constraints, prescribed fire can be a very cost-efficient tool for both reducing wildfire hazards and managing fire-prone landscapes. However, despite its widespread use in some countries, social and administrative constraints arise when applied at the European or larger scales. Science-based knowledge concerning fire behavior, fuel load reduction, and tree impacts is required to support the use of prescribed fire. Spatial ignition patterns can increase or decrease the spread rate, flame length, and flame residence time according to the objectives of a prescribed fire. This work aims to analyze fire behavior using different fire ignition patterns (strip-heading fire, flanking fire, and spot-heading fire) and meteorological and fuel conditions. Seventy-seven observations or sampling units using twenty-three prescribed fires were established for fire monitoring. Non-linear models based on environmental variables were fitted for the spread rate and flame length. Our study proposes a novel way of sharing scientific knowledge in relation to the most common distances between ignition lines and ignition points used in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The spread rate and flame length can be increased in strip-heading fire, by more than 3.5-fold and more than 1.95-fold, respectively, by modifying only the distance between ignition lines. Flanking fire could lead to a decrease in the spread rate by approximately half. Although spot-heading fire can reduce the spread rate by more than 78% and flame length by more than 41%, the highest distances between points could increase the flame residence time by 39–132%. This research seeks to achieve a trade-off between fire intensity and the impacts of fire on trees, soil, and surface roots.

Cavity walls could be used instead of homogeneous walls in order to reduce the load acting on the ceiling structure while ensuring conformity with the acoustic requirements for buildings. The airborne sound insulation properties of nonbearing cavity walls comprising two masonry leaves with a filled gap are dealt in this paper. Cavity wall structures erected from silicate brickwork, hollow silicate, gypsum, and aerated concrete block work having general surface mass from 125 to 500 kg/m2 were analyzed under in situ conditions. Standardized calculation methods for the weighted sound reduction index, Rw, assessment are compared with the in situ measurement results of apparent, R′w, index ones. Field measurements of R′w index were conducted during the mandatory pre-completion testing introduced in Lithuania since 2007 for newly erected buildings. The resonance effect that occurs due to the cavity in the studied structures and reduces R′ index values below 800 Hz appropriately lessens the single number value, R′w. By increasing the width of cavity as well as using sound-absorbing material between masonry elements, this limiting frequency may be shifted to the lower frequency band. Obtained measurements data show that standardized models intended for homogeneous walls could properly indicate the sound insulation properties of cavity walls having a relatively high (>350 kg/m2) general surface mass. For cavity walls with lower than 350 kg/m2 general surface mass values, measurement showed higher R′w values than for standardized models. The two types of cavity wall supporting are classified for evaluation of the cavity wall together with flanking structures on acting of loads: strong supported and weak supported. For the strong supported structures, increasing of the R′w index was from 3 dB to 8 dB compared with standardized models. For the weak supported structures, increasing of the R′w index was from 1 dB to 4 dB for less than 200 kg/m2 surface mass cavity walls. Appropriate calculation regression formulas were proposed to predict the value of the R′w index for cavity walls of both types.

For more than 20 years, plant biologists have tried to achieve complete control of transgene expression. Until the techniques to target transgenes to safe harbor sites in the genome become routine, flanking transgenes with genetic insulators, DNA sequences that create independent domains of gene expression, can help avoid positional effects and stabilize their expression. We have, for the first time, compared the effect of three insulator sequences previously described in the literature and one never tested before. Our results indicate that their use increases transgene expression, but only the last one reduces variability between lines and between individuals. We have analyzed the integration of insulator-flanked T-DNAs using whole genome re-sequencing (to our knowledge, also for the first time) and found data suggesting that chiMARs can shelter transgene insertions from neighboring repressive epigenetic states. Finally, we could also observe a loss of accuracy of the RB insertion in the lines harboring insulators, evidenced by a high frequency of truncation of T-DNAs and of insertion of vector backbone that, however, did not affect transgene expression. Our data supports that the effect of each genetic insulator is different and their use in transgenic constructs should depend on the needs of each specific experiment.

To evaluate the ability of a restricted range of auditory-nerve fibers to encode a large perceptual dynamic range, Viemeister [(1983). Science 221, 1206–1208] examined the detection of a change in the level of a high-frequency band of noise flanked by more intense fixed-level noise maskers. Here, stimuli and procedures similar to Viemeister's were used, but random manipulations of level and notch cutoff frequency were included to evaluate predictions of energy-based models. The results indicate that cues other than the change in level per se are available, and suggest the potential contribution of changes in pitch/timbre for this task.

The acoustic modelling of timber constructions is a major concern since wood construction technology has started to tackle multi-storey buildings. The recent update of the EN ISO 12354:2017 package of standards introduced indications relative to lightweight timber structures and a distinction between CLT and frame buildings that is related to the different characterisation of flanking transmissions. Within this framework, this work presents the results of a measurement campaign conducted on CLT junctions to study the influence of the connection on the vibration reduction indices. The investigation regards the influence of the kind and number of connectors, the hierarchy of the transmission paths and the use of the resilient interlayers. The experimental data show that the transmission of vibrations between CLT panels is strongly related to the metallic connectors that characterise the junction. The analysis on the damping of CLT panels suggests that the reverberation time does not strictly depend on the adjacent elements; a comparison between the loss factor normalised data and the geometry normalised data is finally proposed.

Flanking structures are deflections of an existing planar fabric (e.g., foliation) alongside a cross-cutting element (e.g., a vein) that can develop in a wide range of rock types, ranging from eclogites to unconsolidated sediments, and also glacier ice, which deforms in temperate glaciers dominantly by dislocation creep and can be considered as a monomineralic metamorphic rock analogue. The finite geometry of flanking structures depends on several factors, such as initial orientation of the cross-cutting element (CE) relative to the shear zone boundary and the kinematic vorticity of the shear zone flow. However, nearly all published examples of flanking structures are interpreted to have formed either under simple shear or transpressional general shear, although in theory flanking structures should also form under transtensional general shear. Here we describe the geometry and development of transtensional flanking structures in glacial ice of the Pasterze, Austria’s largest alpine valley glacier. Mapping was carried out with the aid of high-resolution drone photography and the structures’ attitudes were determined using traditional field techniques. The studied flanking structures develop in an area situated on the orographic right side of the glacier tongue and downstream of a transverse crevasse field. The CEs are closed crevasses containing granular ice and rotate clockwise (when viewed from above), consistent with the large-scale flow field of the glacier. The penetrative foliation, which is regionally parallel to the glacier’s flow direction, is locally deflected alongside the CEs, forming a- (antithetic) and s-type (synthetic) flanking structures. The variability of the cross-cutting elements’ orientation systematically decreases downstream as they rotate into a stable position. We compare the mapped flanking structures with model results of a semi-analytical modified Eshelby solutions for a frictionless CE embedded in an isotropic linear viscous matrix. The model results demonstrate that a variety of a- and s-type flanking structures form under transtensional shear flow for a broad range of kinematic vorticity numbers and initial orientations of the CE but also show that shear bands do not form a stable structure. On the other hand, s-type flanking folds may be diagnostic for transtension because they form stable structures (but still accumulate displacement) when the CE has been rotated parallel to the fabric attractor, which is oblique to the shear zone boundary under transtension. Because of the abundance of shear bands and the lack of s-type flanking structures in natural rocks we speculate that transtensional ductile shear zones rarely occur in nature.

Analysing the flanking sequences surrounding genes of interest is often highly relevant to understanding the role of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in horizontal gene transfer, particular for antimicrobial resistance genes. Here, we present Flanker, a Python package which performs alignment-free clustering of gene flanking sequences in a consistent format, allowing investigation of MGEs without prior knowledge of their structure. These clusters, known as ‘flank patterns’, are based on Mash distances, allowing for easy comparison of similarity across sequences. Additionally, Flanker can be flexibly parameterised to finetune outputs by characterising upstream and downstream regions separately and investigating variable lengths of flanking sequence. We apply Flanker to two recent datasets describing plasmid-associated carriage of important carbapenemase genes (blaOXA-48 and blaKPC-2/3) and show that it successfully identifies distinct clusters of flank patterns, including both known and previously uncharacterised structural variants. For example, Flanker identified four Tn4401 profiles that could not be sufficiently characterised using TETyper or MobileElementFinder, demonstrating the utility of Flanker for flanking gene characterisation. Similarly, using a large (n=226) European isolate dataset, we confirm findings from a previous smaller study demonstrating association between Tn1999.2 andblaOXA-48upregulation and demonstrate 17 flank patterns (compared to the 5 previously identified). More generally the demonstration in this study that flank patterns are associated with to geographical regions and antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes suggests that they may be useful as epidemiological markers. Flanker is freely available under an MIT license athttps://github.com/wtmatlock/flanker.Data SummaryNCBI accession numbers for all sequencing data used in this study is provided in Supplementary Table 1. The analysis performed in this manuscript can be reproduced in a binder environment provided on the Flanker Github page (https://github.com/wtmatlock/flanker).

In cross-laminated timber (CLT) buildings, in order to reduce the disturbing transmission of sound over the flanking parts, special insulation layers are used between the CLT walls and slabs, together with insulated angle-bracket connections. How-ever, the influence of such CLT connections and insulation layers on the seismic resistance of CLT structures has not yet been studied. In this paper, experimental investigation on CLT panels installed on insulation bedding and fastened to the CLT floor using an innovative, insulated, steel angle bracket, are presented. The novelty of the investigated angle-bracket connection is, in addition to the sound insulation, its resistance to both shear as well as uplift forces as it is intended to be used instead of traditional angle brackets and hold-down connections to simplify the construction. Therefore, monotonic and cyclic tests on the CLT wall-to-floor connections were performed in shear and tensile/compressive load direction. Specimens with and without insulation under the angle bracket and between the CLT panels were studied and compared. Tests of insulated specimens have proved that the insulation has a marginal influence on the load-bearing capacity; however, it significantly influences the stiffness characteristics. In general, the experiments have shown that the connection could also be used for seismic resistant CLT structures, although some minor improvements should be made. Nasl. z nasl. zaslona. Opis vira z dne 11. 1. 2021. Abstract. Bibliografija: str. 704-705.

In view of the conditions in the Andes, it is appropriate briefly to consider the characteristics of the destination point of so many migrants. What role did the lowland area flanking the Andes play in relieving population pressure in the Sierra? Did the land-hungry, destitute campesinos of the Andes fulfill their dreams of improving their social and economic position when they migrated to the lowlands?

Simultaneous color contrast and assimilation are mutually opposing effects on color appearance, and their magnitude depends on spatial context. The Monnier–Shevell illusion induces a large color shift by a synergy of simultaneous assimilation and contrast using the alternating color of proximal and distant surrounds. The illusion induces a prominent effect along the blue-yellow color axis, but a subtle effect along the orthogonal color axis. In this study, we report an illusion generated by an extremely thin gray line on a cyan background that appears reddish when the line is flanked by thin white contours. We quantified the color appearance of the gray line in a color matching experiment and found that the color shift of the gray line with white contours induced large color shifts. It is also known that luminance contrast between a center and its surrounds affects the magnitude of simultaneous color contrast. However, our color contrast effects were larger for a dark line rather than for a pale line. In contrast, the perceived color shift of the line without the contours increased as the luminance of the gray line increased, supporting the known effect of Kirschmann’s third law. These results indicate that Kirschmann’s third law fails to explain the perceived color shift of our illusion, even after accounting for optical factors like aberrations. Observed color shifts could be explained by an augmented synergy theory based on intensity space, rather than chromaticity.

Visual crowding occurs when flanking stimuli reduce the visibility of a target stimulus. This effect is typically stronger the closer the flanking stimuli are to the target. However, it has been observed that this trend may be reversed causing an upturn at the very smallest separations. It has been shown previously that crowding may be consistent with interference in the stimuli. Interference takes place in the stimuli and does not depend on vision or the visual system. The present analyses examine interference between stimuli at very small separations. It is found that when the analyses are confined to very low spatial frequency components interference may result in reduced interference at the very smallest separations. This is consistent with the upturn observed in some psychophysical experiments.

EGU General Assembly 2020 - Online, 4–8 May 2020, The South-Pyrenean fold-and-thrust belt consists of three major thin-skinned thrust sheets (Bóixols, Montsec and Serres Marginals) made up of uppermost Triassic to Oligocene cover rocks emplaced during Late Cretaceous-Oligocene times. In its central part, it forms a major salient (the Pyrenean South-Central Unit) whose geometry is controlled by the areal distribution of the pre-orogenic Upper Triassic and synorogenic Eocene salt décollement layers. Both westwards and eastwards, the salient is fringed by Paleogene synorogenic deposits that are deformed by detachment folds with orientations ranging from N-S to E-W. In the western edge of the salient, the varying trend of the folds is a result of synorogenic vertical axis rotations (VAR) which caused the clockwise rotation of the folds from an initial predominant E-W trend to the current NW-SE to NNW-SSE trend. The salient, at least on its western part, developed from a progressive curve originated from divergent thrust transport directions and distributed shortening. The aim of our study is to get a better understanding of the whole salient, by studying the kinematics of the deformation on the most frontal part of its eastern edge. Here, some sparse anticlockwise rotations have been reported but their origin and their possible relationship with the distribution of the salt décollements has not yet been addressed. For this purpose, 78 paleomagnetic sites have been sampled on the synorogenic upper Eocene-Oligocene materials of the NE Ebro foreland Basin, in the Artesa de Segre area, focusing on the limbs of oblique salt-cored anticlines (Ponts, Vilanova de l¿Aguda, Cardona) which are detached above the synorogenic Eocene-Oligocene evaporites of the Cardona and the Barbastro formations. VAR analyses principally show anticlockwise rotations similar to those previously identified to the North in the Oliana Anticline, although a small number of clockwise rotations were also detected. In addition to the VAR analysis, a magnetostratigraphic study of the Eocene-Oligocene continental materials of the northern limb of the Sanaüja Anticline has been conducted in order to constrain the age of these rotations from stratigraphic correlations. The demagnetization of 104 samples from a ca. 1100 m thick magnetostratigraphic section shows Priabonian to Rupelian ages for this succession. The integration of our results on timing, direction and magnitude of foreland VAR with previous paleomagnetic and structural data from both the western and eastern boundaries of the frontal thrust of the Pyrenean South-Central Unit will allow the understanding of the kinematics of the thrust salient as a whole.

We consider a red-versus-blue coupled synchronization and spatial swarming (i.e., swarmalator) model that incorporates attraction and repulsion terms and an adversarial game of phases. The model exhibits behaviors such as spontaneous emergence of tactical manoeuvres of envelopment (e.g., flanking, pincer, and envelopment) that are often proposed in military theory or observed in nature. We classify these states based on a large set of features such as spatial densities, synchronization between clusters, and measures of cluster distances. These features are used to study the influence of coupling parameters on the expected presence of these states and the-sometimes sharp-transitions between them.

Within the realms of both wildland and prescribed fire, an understanding of how fire severity and forest structure interact is critical for improving fuels treatment effectiveness, quantifying the ramifications of wildfires, and improving fire behavior modeling. We integrated high resolution estimates of fire severity with multi-temporal airborne laser scanning data to examine the role that various fuel loading, canopy shape, and other variables had on predicting fire severity for a complex of prescribed fires and one wildfire and how three-dimensional fuels changed as a result of these fires. Fuel loading characteristics were widely variable, and fires were ignited using a several techniques (heading, flanking, and backing), leading to a large amount of variability in fire behavior and subsequent fire effects. Through our analysis, we found that fire severity was linked explicitly to pre-fire fuel loading and structure, particularly in the three-dimensional distribution of fuels. Fire severity was also correlated with post-fire fuel loading, forest structural heterogeneity, and shifted the diversity and abundance of canopy classes within the landscape. This work demonstrates that the vertical distribution of fuel is an important factor and that subtle difference has defined effects on fire behavior and severity.

The angle control during the flight of UAV is the most important factor which affects its stability and safety. Since the traditional PID control method is difficult to automatically adjust the control parameters, a particle swarm optimization algorithm based on traditional PID control (PSO-PID), is proposed to construct a mathematical model of the flanking flight of the UAV. Based on the full analysis of the PID control principle, the UAV’s flanking flight controller based on PID control is constructed. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is introduced to optimize the PID parameters. The simulation model is built in MATLAB to investigate the position and altitude angle change of the UAV’s flank and compare it with the traditional PID control method. The experimental results show that the PSO-PID control strategy has a good control effect, which enables UAV’s flanking flight to reach the specified position more quickly and accurately than traditional PID controller alone.

Historical old buildings bring together a whole set of unique characteristics with substantial influence on the acoustic behaviour, especially concerning the junctions between light and heavy elements, as is the case with wooden floors and stone masonry walls. The lack of information about the acoustic characteristics of wooden structures leads to the use of theoretical prediction methods, which do not accurately represent real conditions. The wooden floor’s complex design hampers the study of its acoustical behaviour. This difficulty becomes greater when the analysis targets the structural systems instead of the single elements. Consequently, the need of a deeper knowledge about the characteristics which influence the acoustic behaviour of these junctions leads to the research on the acoustic component associated with the flanking transmission paths of airborne sound – vibration reduction index ( Kij). Structural reverberation times ( Ts) for both elements were acquired in order to feature the in situ real condition. ISO 10848-1 standard procedure was followed for both measurements. In situ flanking transmission measurements between wooden structural floors and stone masonry walls will allow their comparison with theoretical prediction methods, as defined by the EN 12354-1 standard method. Results show a great deviation between in situ measurements of the vibration reduction index ( Kij) and the obtained results for the same index through theoretical models.

Hydrophobic interactions govern how proteins fold and interact with other molecules, but the impact of nearby polar functionality on the effective hydrophobicity of nonpolar surfaces remains unclear. Here we use a common protein quaternary structure motif, the parallel coiled-coil dimer, to ask whether the identity of basic residues (arginine vs lysine; guanidinium vs ammonium) arrayed along one side of the constituent α-helices influences the favorability of dimerization driven by burial of hydrophobic surface on the other side of each helix. Significant sequence redesign was necessary to achieve the desired juxtaposition of nonpolar and cationic functionality, because we needed to eliminate charged side chains from positions flanking the nonpolar helix surface. Natural and designed sequences that form coiled coils are almost universally rich in acidic and basic residues at these flanking positions. Our arginine coiled-coil dimer was moderately more stable than the lysine analogue, which contrasts with behavior previously observed with helical β-amino acid oligomers bearing guanidinium versus ammonium groups. We attribute this backbone-dependent difference to variations in the extent to which the helical propensities of α- and β-residues can be modulated by design. These findings highlight the challenge of identifying noncovalent forces that direct structure formed by a flexible backbone.

A well-insulated, airtight, thermal bridge free building envelope is a key factor for nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB). However, increased insulation thickness and minimised air leakages increase the effect of thermal bridges on the overall energy efficiency of the nZEBs. Currently, the calculation of linear thermal transmittance follows ISO 10211, which requires the separate numerical assessment of combined thermal bridges, where two or more junctions are positioned in close proximity within delimiting cut-off planes. This poses a practical problem, as the number of different combinations (mainly related to window to wall connections in combination with corners, intermediate ceiling etc) is too large in practice to follow the standard procedure. In this study, a parametric numerical assessment of different thermal bridges in well-insulated constructions showed that with linear thermal transmittance up to 0.2 W/(mK) in lightweight construction and up to 0.1 W/(mK) in heavyweight construction the reduction of flanking element length from 1.440 m to 0.288 m (80% reduction) had no effect on numerically calculated linear thermal transmittance in steady-state conditions. For thermal bridges inside heavyweight construction with linear thermal transmittance below 1.1 W/(mK) the flanking element length could be reduced by 50% without any effect and by 70% with marginal effect ( The shorter flanking element length, roughly equal to its thickness, can then be used to minimise the amount of combined thermal bridges in complex building envelopes. Compared to ISO 10211 requirements, the amount of different combined thermal bridges in two exemplary building envelopes was reduced by 35% to 76%, depending on the building type, and allowed deviation of 0.5%, 1.0% or 2.0%, thus significantly reducing the working hours of practitioners.

Current genome walking methods are very time consuming, and many produce non-specific amplification products. To amplify the flanking sequences that are adjacent to Tn5 transposon insertion sites in Serratia marcescens FZSF02, we developed a genome walking method based on TAIL-PCR. This PCR method added a 20-cycle linear amplification step before the exponential amplification step to increase the concentration of the target sequences. Products of the linear amplification and the exponential amplification were diluted 100-fold to decrease the concentration of the templates that cause non-specific amplification. Fast DNA polymerase with a high extension speed was used in this method, and an amplification program was used to rapidly amplify long specific sequences. With this linear and exponential TAIL-PCR (LETAIL-PCR), we successfully obtained products larger than 2 kb from Tn5 transposon insertion mutant strains within 3 h. This method can be widely used in genome walking studies to amplify unknown sequences that are adjacent to known sequences. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13568-017-0495-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The aim of this study is to present analog models of flanking structures and to analyze the Fábrica Nova synform, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, from a geometric point of view. We set up seven models using a linear viscous silicone and produced flanking structures with a shear velocity of 2 cm h-1. At different initial orientations with respect to the shear zone boundary, a rigid cross-cutting element with lubricated boundaries was deformed via sinistral bulk flow at a shear strain of γ = 1.28. The most interesting features of our experiments are the geometries of the different marker lines, which are heterogeneous and resulted from thickening and thinning of the silicone at the cross-cutting element terminations. To compare our analog models and the Fábrica Nova synform, we analyzed the outermost marker line of the analog models and the top surface of the Cauê Formation in the Paleoproterozoic metasediments. The best comparisons between the experiments and the natural example were obtained by our CIS90 model in terms of the flexure shape near the cross-cutting element and the cross-cutting element orientation. Thus, we suggest that the cross-cutting elements in both situations act as obstacles and consequently produce local perturbations in laminar flow.

C-loop is an internal loop motif found in the ribosome and used in artificial nanostructures. While its geometry has been partially characterized, its mechanical properties remain elusive. Here we propose a method to evaluate global shape and stiffness of an internal loop. The loop is flanked by short A-RNA helices modeled as rigid bodies. Their relative rotation and displacement are fully described by six interhelical coordinates. The deformation energy of the loop is assumed to be a general quadratic function of the interhelical coordinates. The model parameters for isolated C-loops are inferred from unrestrained all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. C-loops exhibit high twist as reported earlier, but also a bend and a lateral displacement of the flanking helices. Their bending stiffness and lateral displacement stiffness are nearly isotropic and similar to the control A-RNA duplexes. Nevertheless, we found systematic variations with the C-loop position in the ribosome and the organism of origin. The results characterize global properties of C-loops in the full six-dimensional interhelical space and enable one to choose an optimally stiff C-loop for use in a nanostructure. Our approach can be readily applied to other internal loops and extended to more complex structural motifs.

In this paper, numerous examples will be illustrated as principles of applying the sound intensity measurements to practical problems at the noise abatement on ships and offshore constructions. The paper presents the results of transmission loss measurements together with flanking transmission for ship bulkheads and partitions with doors and windows. Investigations carried out with sound intensity measurement techniques will be compared against those made by classical methods. Finally for a few examples, the graphic presentation of spatial distribution of sound intensity vectors risen close to vibrating ship cabin partitions and inside the cabin will be shown in 2D and 3D graphical form. As a result, a two-dimensional acoustic wave flow map of time-averaged active intensity vectors propagated along curved streamlines and a vector perpendicular to measured plane are graphically illustrated. The technique of acoustic vectors decomposition of sound fields described, can enrich the knowledge of the mechanism of acoustic energy flux through ship partitions.

The battle of Cannae was fought on August 2, 216 bce, in northern Apulia. Dissatisfied with the “delaying tactics” (harassing the enemy but avoiding battle) of Fabius Maximus in 217, the Roman Senate authorized the levying of armies twice the normal size under the command of both consuls in 216, Terentius Varro and Aemilius Paullus. The ensuing disaster was blamed by later generations on Varro, unfairly. On a broad plain beside the river Aufidus (Ofanto), Hannibal, with forty thousand African, Spanish, and north Italian Gallic infantry and ten thousand Numidian and Gallic cavalry, confronted the Roman super-army of eight enlarged legions and allied units. This totaled at least seventy thousand infantry and six thousand cavalry on the field, while some ten thousand garrisoned their camp. Keywords: military history; nations and peoples; violence; war

There are many researches that devise the appearance of agents that recommend products, but there are not many researches that focus on the environment in which a robot and a person interact. In this research, we examined whether there are differences in the impression on the robot and the change in the degree of interest in the product under the face-to-face condition and the 90° condition when the robot explains the product. As a result, there was no significant difference in the degree of interest in the products between the two conditions, but in the evaluation of the impression on the robot, it was found that the 90° condition was more likely to be felt as 'obedient" and "humorous" significantly. Therefore, it was found that although the 90° condition gives a better impression on the robot than the face-to-face condition, it does not affect the degree of interest in the product explained by the robot.

DNMT3A R882 mutations are frequently observed in AML including the abundant R882H and the rare R882C, R882P and R882S. Using deep enzymology we show here that the DNMT3A-R882H has more than 70-fold altered flanking sequence preferences when compared with wildtype DNMT3A. The R882H flanking sequence preferences mainly differ on the 3’ side of the CpG site, where they resemble DNMT3B, while 5’ flanking sequence preferences of R882H resemble wildtype DNMT3A, indicating that R882H behaves like a DNMT3A/DNMT3B chimera. Activities and flanking sequence preferences of R882C, R882P and R882S were determined as well. Genomic methylation patterns after expression of wildtype DNMT3A and R882H in human cells reflect the flanking sequence preferences. R882H specific hypermethylation in AML patients are correlated with R882H flanking sequence preferences. The hypermethylation events are accompanied by R882H specific misregulation of several genes with strong cancer connection in AML patients, which are potential downstream targets of R882H.

The emergence of affordable unmanned aerial systems (UAS) creates new opportunities to study fire behavior and ecosystem pattern&mdash, process relationships. A rotor-wing UAS hovering above a fire provides a static, scalable sensing platform that can characterize terrain, vegetation, and fire coincidently. Here, we present methods for collecting consistent time-series of fire rate of spread (RoS) and direction in complex fire behavior using UAS-borne NIR and Thermal IR cameras. We also develop a technique to determine appropriate analytical units to improve statistical analysis of fire-environment interactions. Using a hybrid temperature-gradient threshold approach with data from two prescribed fires in dry conifer forests, the methods characterize complex interactions of observed heading, flanking, and backing fires accurately. RoS ranged from 0&ndash, 2.7 m/s. RoS distributions were all heavy-tailed and positively-skewed with area-weighted mean spread rates of 0.013&ndash, 0.404 m/s. Predictably, the RoS was highest along the primary vectors of fire travel (heading fire) and lower along the flanks. Mean spread direction did not necessarily follow the predominant head fire direction. Spatial aggregation of RoS produced analytical units that averaged 3.1&ndash, 35.4% of the original pixel count, highlighting the large amount of replicated data and the strong influence of spread rate on unit size.

In this paper, we show how classical tactical forma- tion patterns and flanking strategies, such as the line formation and the enveloping maneuver, can be seen as the result of maximizing a natural formation utility. The problem of automatic formation keeping is extremely well studied within the areas of control and robotics, but the reasons for choosing a particular formation shape and position is much less so. By analyzing a situation with two adversarial teams of agents facing each other, we show that natural assumptions regarding the target selection of the agents and decreasing weapon efficiency over distance, can be used to optimize a measure of utility over agent positions. This optimization in turn results in formations and positions that are very similar to the ones being used in practice. We present both analytical results for simple examples as well as numerical results for more complex situations. QC 20190125

On the largest scale, Grant’s Overland Campaign to destroy the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was shaped by the geology and geography of the Piedmont Province of Virginia. After the Battle of the Wilderness, Grant began a series of large flanking movements, always to the east, to threaten the southern capital and force Lee to fight. Grant always maneuvered in this same direction so as to keep his supply route open across the Fall Zone and Coastal Plain—the logistics of running supplies through the Valley and Ridge Province or Triassic Basins proved too difficult and dangerous. On a tactical level the metamorphic rocks under the Spotsylvania Battlefield helped to determine the location of the largest weak spot in the Confederate line, the “Mule Shoe” salient. Here Grant ordered repeated attacks along a swale created at the contact between the Quantico synform and the Ta River metamorphic suite. This depression later provided cover for reorganizing Union infantry as the costly stalemate to take the “Bloody Angle” developed.

High processing speeds enormously enlarge the number of possible fields of application for laser processes. For example, material removal for sheet cutting using multiple passes or precise mass corrections can be achieved by means of spatter formation. For a better understanding of spatter formation at processing speeds of several hundred meters per minute, characterizations of the processing zone are required. For this purpose, a 400 W single-mode fiber laser was used in this study to process stainless steel AISI 304 (1.4301/X5CrNi18-10) with speeds of up to 600 m/min. A setup was developed that enabled a lateral high-speed observation of the processing zone by means of a glass plate flanking. This approach allowed for the measurement of several dimensions, such as the penetration depth, spatter formation, and especially, the inclination angle of the absorption front. It was shown that the loss of mass started to significantly increase when the absorption front was inclined at about 60°. In combination with precise weighings, metallographic examinations, and further external process observations, these findings provided an illustration of four empirical process models for different processing speeds.

The authors performed the analysis of the circumstances and causes of accidents associated with gas and dust explosions for the last twenty-five years. The conducted research has shown that there is a steady tendency of the stabilization of the number of accidents (associated with impaired stope ventilation) at present time. Most accidents occur at the excavation sites, working off benches of low gradient by the layout systems with flanking pillars and complete roof collapse. As a result of the evaluation of the reasons thereof, conducted by statistical methods and methods of technical analysis, it was found that most excavation sites were provided with the calculated air amount during the accident, while the explosive concentration of methane was observed in the breakage headings and adjacent workings. The main reason for gas normalization violations, according to the authors, is the leakage of supplied air into the collapsed area, the negative role of which lies in the fact that its amount varies continuously in space and time. Currently, all schemes for the ventilation of excavation sites and some coal mines (with gas explosion hazard) are divided into a number of known determinant classification characteristics; the path of air leaks differs respectively. Therefore, the main goal of this research is the development of scientific methods for the calculation of leakage (with the practical use value). This problem is of particular importance during the working of gas seams with the development systems which produce the substantial amounts of worked-out areas. Based on the conducted research, new methods for calculating leaks in the collapse zone were introduced, which allow to determine the air flow amount along the face length on the basis of the minimum input data, and extend the air distribution control capabilities at the excavation site, significantly increasing the safety of mining operations by the gas factor.

The canonical core sequence of the p53 response element, CATG, has a two-base A/T gap. Previously, we found that p53 can also activate a non-canonical four-base A/T gap CATATG core sequence. In this study, we investigated the possible number of A/T bases used by p53 and showed that a six-base A/T gap CATATATG core sequence was the maximum A/T gap in the p53 response element that could be upregulated by p53 and p63. Canonical and non-canonical p53 response elements also have three-base flanking sequences. A/T bases could be substituted by G/C bases, including CACACG and CGTGTG, but not CGCGCG. We found that the SV40 promoter with functional six- and two-base A/T gap core sequences could be activated by TAp63γ and that TAp63γ could upregulate SV40 small and large T antigens expression in COS7 cells. We also found that the distal region of PUMA promoter with functional two six-base A/T gap core sequences could be activated by TAp63γ in 293T cells. These new findings could provide novel rules for the non-canonical p53 family response element and could extend the entire p53 family regulation network.

The importance of flanking paths to sound transmission in buildings has been studied recently. Damping treatments make it possible to increase the internal losses in structures and provide an opportunity to enhance the attenuation of long transmission paths. A number of numerical comparisons have been made to demonstrate the effectiveness of a global increase in structural damping of nine different physical systems using both bending only and three-wave models. Statistical energy analysis (SEA) has been adopted as the analytical framework. The results show that, by applying a damping treatment, the contribution of flanking paths to sound transmission can be reduced and sound insulation improved.

Analysis of 15 years of composite radar images over the continental United States reveals a distinct minimum of deep-convection occurrence over the interior lower Mississippi Valley on summer afternoons, relative to surrounding areas. To understand the mechanisms behind this convection signature, quasi-idealized numerical simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are performed. The simulations, which broadly reproduce the valley convection minimum, suggest that convective inhibition is maximized, and low-level ascent minimized, over the flat valley terrain. By contrast, weaker inhibition and stronger mechanically forced ascent over the hills flanking the valley combine to initiate convection more readily. Although the orography of the region is unremarkable, it has a stronger influence on the regional convection pattern than do variations in land use.